Classic & Vintage - PUCH 3-Spd. Questions:

Today I followed up on seeing a 3-spd. PUCH that a guy put in Craig's List. $100/best offer. It says PUCH USA on the head-badge - and USA on the downtube. So it's likely of Japanese Puch manufacture. Though the owner thinks it's made in USA. I won't pop his bubble. Looks to be from the early - mid 1970's. The frame is solid and doesn't appear to have been in any bad crashes - fork straight and frame aligned. And the guy states it won't get 2nd. gear. All in all - true to my Puchaphilia - I'm going to take it off his hands. It requires a full overhaul, naturally, and I've got a question:

My Sutherland's vanished a few years ago and I haven't replaced it. It had excellent exploded-parts diagrams for the various 3-speed hubs, and I'm guessing this to be a Shimano. Does anyone have experience with what the hub is? And any links to Tech. Docs for such? A nice exploded view, perhaps?

Also links to disassembly instructions & part's list? It's been awhile since I pulled apart a 3-spd. hub, and they were Sturmey-Archer. I'm guessing the Sturmey-Archer and the Shimano are more similar than dissimilar.

Those planetary-gears are neat! I'd like to get an 8-spd. to take apart at some point. :twitchy:

Any experiences with these bicycles would be most welcome - Happy Trails!

Dunno, it might even have a Sachs in it, early to mid 70's, if Shimano most likely will be the 333 or a 3SC or something similar. Parts are basically unavailable. The triple 3 was not as strong a hub as the 3S/3SC, but I have seen plenty of them do decent mileage if not abused. There is the outside chance it is the SA, in which case you are home free as far as durability and parts. Germans, for some reason love to name their bikes(and other things) after places in the US...I have a Staiger Florida:rolleyes: If the bike was made in Germany you might even get a Sachs 3 speed.:thumb:

Get it and let us know what you end up with.

Aaron:)

Thanks, Aaron.

Been reading archival commentary about these bikes, as well as the other 3spd. Puchs. Seems everyone is raving about how great the gears are. Virtually bombproof from the descriptions, and very well liked. I'm trying to dredge up a model name. Photo's going around gave a model, but I'm waiting a bit as I couldn't read them from my look. Covered in grease and muck from riding roads in early Spring here in northern Vermont. If the potholes and debris don't kill you - they surely will keep trying!

I'll be picking it up on Monday late afternoon. Christmas in June! YaHooooo! I'll post some pictures to you photo-phreaks out there - myself included.

I had a Puch Rugby Sports for a short while. It was a really decent bike with lots of bells and whistles, as well as a Shimano 333 hub that worked flawlessly.

Look here;

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~hadland/samaintind.htm

The 3-spd. hub on this PUCH is a Shimano, Esteban. But my Lord! That's all going into a file marked: Everything You Ever Wondered - Sturmey-Archer 3-Spd. Hubs

Wow! Thank you very much!

The 3-spd. hub on this PUCH is a Shimano, Esteban. But my Lord! That's all going into a file marked: Everything You Ever Wondered - Sturmey-Archer 3-Spd. Hubs

Wow! Thank you very much!

Here is a link for repair on the Shimano 3SC (http://www.lafn.org/~dave/trans/bicycle/shimano3sc.html) :p I don't recall having seen one for the CCC hub.

Aaron:)